Wannstedt's Defense Shuts Out Distractions

PASADENA, Calif. — As an offensive tackle at the University of Pittsburgh in the early 1970s, Dave Wannstedt delighted in blocking for the likes of All-American running back Tony Dorsett.

But this week, as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator prepares his No. 1-rated unit for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Buffalo Bills, Wannstedt will rely on his wife, Jan, to run interference for him.

Wannstedt wants to devote full attention to the Super Bowl before taking over as head coach of the Bears.

His answering machine in Dallas was overloaded with media requests and messages from well-wishers. He will rely on his wife here, as well, to screen the calls and deflect attention.

"To be perfectly honest with you, the only person I have talked to in the last two days has been my wife on the phone," said Wannstedt. "And I'm going to keep it that way right through the Super Bowl. That's the commitment.

"That's what I owe to the Dallas Cowboys. I owe that to myself. I owe that, most importantly, to these players. After the Super Bowl, there will be time for getting things done with Chicago."

Still, there is some sense of nostalgia as this closely knit group of Cowboys coaches works together for the last time this week.

"Friday morning in the team meeting, that was the first time we were together since (the Bears job) happened," said Wannstedt. "The only words I had were, `Thank you.' And they know exactly where I'm coming from.

"In this profession, you win games and the players win games. Then there is success for the team. Then there is credit to be given. As long as you keep it in that perspective and in that order, I feel good about the situation. I think the guys know exactly how I feel."

As for this week, Wannstedt said: "We're going to have a hard, physical practice on Monday. That will be our toughest practice of the week. We'll give the players off Tuesday, which is their normal day off. They'll come back Wednesday and just get into their normal routine Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, we'll head out of town somewhere and just get ready for the ballgame."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave the Bears permission to talk to Wannstedt. Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson urged Wannstedt to get the deal done before the Super Bowl.

"Really, it hasn't been a distraction," said Jones. "Dave has not let that affect any of his duties here. It was obvious last week in San Francisco (in the NFC title game) that it didn't bother him. I think it was good for him, and he was the main one we were interested in.

"He's really not wearing two hats right now. He is just totally involved in our game plan and getting ready for Buffalo."

Wannstedt also was sought by the New York Giants.

"It's a compliment to Jimmy Johnson," said Jones. "It's a compliment to the Cowboys. It causes other talented people to want to be involved in our organization."

Johnson will make sure the Cowboys are all business this week.

"We'll add a few wrinkles and a few changeups," he said, "but we already will have had the basics in."

The Cowboys' main concern is defending against the Bills' no-huddle offense.

"It is very difficult to simulate that in practice," said Johnson, whose team has thrived on defensive substitutions this season.

"It's a little bit of a concern, but maybe not as much as some people think. Most of our substitutions were dictated by the substitution packages by our opponent. So with their offense pretty much keeping the same personnel on the field, we wouldn't be substituting a whole lot anyway."

The Cowboys are favored to make the Bills three-time losers in the Super Bowl.

"I really don't know a lot of times if we are the underdog or the favorite," said Johnson. "I just try to evaluate the team we're playing. I know they have an outstanding football team, the best team in the AFC.

"I enjoy coaching in a big ballgame. I don't know if I can get too excited about the hoopla that surrounds it. It's a workweek for us. We'll have our practices and go to the required media events, and then I'll get excited about the ballgame. A lot of our work schedule is going to be dictated by the various press conferences and the league requirements."